GML Possible to animate flipping a sprite"

[tnuki]

Sorry if this is dumb, I just started using GM2 a couple weeks ago. Basically I know about "flipping" a sprite on the x-axis with the image_xscale command, but that's a single frame 'snap' from 1 to -1 (or vice versa). Is there a way to smooth the transition, i.e. more smoothy transition from 1 to -1 over multiple frames? Kind of like how it works in the Paper Mario games (but in 2D).

 

[nacho_chicken]

It's quite simple, you just use the numbers between 1 and -1. I used this myself when doing a similar effect.

//Larger decimal values make the flip faster
image_xscale -= .05;

 

[tnuki]

It's quite simple, you just use the numbers between 1 and -1. I used this myself when doing a similar effect.

//Larger decimal values make the flip faster
image_xscale -= .05;

Alright thanks, that's good to know, I forgot to mention I'm using the sign command to say either 1 or -1 (following Shaun Spalding's tutorials), so what I have currently is

if (hsp != 0)  image_xscale = sign(hsp);

Where hsp is horizontal movement.

 

[nacho_chicken]

Alright thanks, that's good to know, I forgot to mention I'm using the sign command to say either 1 or -1 (following Shaun Spalding's tutorials), so what I have currently is

if (hsp != 0)  image_xscale = sign(hsp);

Where hsp is horizontal movement.

In that case, you're going to need to decouple sprite flipping from movement. Perhaps something like this:

// This code assumes your sprites are facing right
if (hsp != 0)
  flip_xscale = sign(hsp);
else
  flip_xscale = 0;

// Flip code
// This is very simple; you might want to modify it to make it look better
image_xscale = clamp(image_xscale + (flip_xscale * flip_speed), -1, 1);

 

[tnuki]

In that case, you're going to need to decouple sprite flipping from movement. Perhaps something like this:

// This code assumes your sprites are facing right
if (hsp != 0)
  flip_xscale = sign(hsp);
else
  flip_xscale = 0;

// Flip code
// This is very simple; you might want to modify it to make it look better
image_xscale = clamp(image_xscale + (flip_xscale * flip_speed), -1, 1);

Nice! I've been thinking about this for hours but couldn't figure it out myself, thanks! Maybe I'll try to reverse engineer it so I better understand what exactly it means (rather than just pasting it in)

 

[nacho_chicken]

Nice! I've been thinking about this for hours but couldn't figure it out myself, thanks! Maybe I'll try to reverse engineer it so I better understand what exactly it means (rather than just pasting it in)

Glad you're putting in the effort to learn! Sorry I didn't comment properly. I just kind of threw it together, haha. Here it is with better comments:

// This code assumes your sprites are facing right
if (hsp != 0) // Check for movement
  flip_xscale = sign(hsp); // Sets a variable to begin flipping left (-1) when hsp is smaller than 0, begins flipping right (1) when hsp is larger than 0
else // No movement
  flip_xscale = 0; // If this variable is set to 0, the sprite will not flip

// Flip code
// clamp(val, min, max) keeps a value between a minimum and maximum.
// Since we want to face left and right, this means the boundaries are -1 (full left) and 1 (full right).
// Anything larger makes the sprite look fat and distorted.
image_xscale = clamp(image_xscale + // Adding current image_xscale to the equation makes this code relative
                     (flip_xscale * flip_speed), // Flips to the right if flip_xscale == 1 and to the left if flip_xscale == -1. Does not change if flip_xscale == 0 since 0*n = 0.
                     -1, // Left flip boundary
                     1); // Right flip boundary

 

[tnuki]

Glad you're putting in the effort to learn! Sorry I didn't comment properly. I just kind of threw it together, haha. Here it is with better comments:

// This code assumes your sprites are facing right
if (hsp != 0) // Check for movement
  flip_xscale = sign(hsp); // Sets a variable to begin flipping left (-1) when hsp is smaller than 0, begins flipping right (1) when hsp is larger than 0
else // No movement
  flip_xscale = 0; // If this variable is set to 0, the sprite will not flip

// Flip code
// clamp(val, min, max) keeps a value between a minimum and maximum.
// Since we want to face left and right, this means the boundaries are -1 (full left) and 1 (full right).
// Anything larger makes the sprite look fat and distorted.
image_xscale = clamp(image_xscale + // Adding current image_xscale to the equation makes this code relative
                     (flip_xscale * flip_speed), // Flips to the right if flip_xscale == 1 and to the left if flip_xscale == -1. Does not change if flip_xscale == 0 since 0*n = 0.
                     -1, // Left flip boundary
                     1); // Right flip boundary

Great! Thanks again.